News & Press Releases 2012

The United States Attorney for the District of Colorado, John F. Walsh, and the Colorado Attorney General, John W. Suthers, announce the end of a national foreclosure rescue scheme. The perpetrators, operating through Bella Homes LLC, had promised hundreds of distressed homeowners that Bella Homes would help homeowners avoid foreclosure. Instead of helping homeowners, the perpetrators helped themselves to a lavish lifestyle replete with fancy cars, vacations, and even gold coins.

DENVER — Colorado Attorney General John Suthers announced today the state has reached an agreement with Westwood College, Inc. to address allegations that the institution violated the Consumer Protection Act by misleading prospective students, engaging in deceptive advertising and failing to comply with Colorado’s consumer lending laws.

DENVER — Colorado Attorney General John Suthers announced today that he will meet with Arturo Sarukhán, the Mexican ambassador to the United States, during the ambassador’s visit to Colorado on Wednesday, March 14. Sarukhán also is scheduled to appear as the featured speaker at The Winter Night Club event that evening at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs. He will speak on Mexico and United States relations.

DENVER — Colorado Attorney General John Suthers announced today that a Larimer County judge has sentenced Phillip R. Trujillo (DOB: 7/21/1949) of Fort Collins to 12 years in prison for his role in a running $5.7 million investment-fraud scheme. A Larimer County jury convicted Trujillo of six felonies in mid-January.

DENVER — Colorado Attorney General John Suthers announced today that his office has filed a lawsuit against Consolidated Medical Services, LLC, a Highlands Ranch-based company, and its owner, Joseph Benedetto (DOB: 10/8/1972), on suspicion that they violated the Colorado Consumer Protection Act.

DENVER — Colorado Attorney General John Suthers unveiled today statistics on the top consumer complaints for 2011 and the first two months of 2012 to mark the beginning of National Consumer Protection Week.

DENVER — Colorado Attorney General John Suthers and U.S. Attorney John Walsh announced today that they have filed a joint lawsuit against Georgia-based Bella Homes and its principals on suspicion that they ran a nationwide foreclosure-rescue scam between March 2010 and February 2012.

DENVER — Colorado Attorney General John Suthers announced today that Colorado Solicitor General Dan Domenico will argue a case before the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday, February 27. The case, Wood v. Milyard, concerns whether or not a federal appellate court can raise the untimeliness of a convicted felon’s habeas corpus petition despite the issue not being decided at the district court level. The state will argue that the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals did not err in raising the issue.

DENVER — Colorado Attorney General John Suthers announced today that a Denver judge has sentenced Colorado Springs resident Douglas Bruce (DOB: 8/26/1949) to 180 days in the Denver County Jail and a six-year probation sentence for tax evasion during the 2005, 2006 and 2007 tax years. As part of his probation, Bruce will have to meet 20 additional conditions including, making his computer files, state and federal tax returns, banks accounts, and every real estate or other financial transaction open to the probation department.